


To Risk it All

by capmarvel



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Domestic Avengers, Endgame, Family, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Steve Rogers, Spoilers, Steve Rogers Feels, Superfamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Superhusbands, Time Travel, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, peter is Steve and tony’s son
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-07 06:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18614581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capmarvel/pseuds/capmarvel
Summary: Avengers Endgame Spoilers!!!Summary in notes but basically the plot of endgame with Superfamily.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> After losing to Thanos, Steve and Tony are tired of being heroes. They move to a lakehouse, get married and start a family together. All that comes crashing down with the re-appearance of Scott Lang and the potential for time-travel.
> 
> So a fleshed out superfamily in Endgame fic. Spiderman doesn't exist, but Tony went to Titan with Pepper in a suit he built her.

Steve was the first one up the ramp of the ship as soon as it had opened to reveal Tony. A frail, malnourished, and emaciated Tony, but Tony none the less. Whilst the appearance of a foreign aircraft at the Avengers compound had initially been a cause for concern, but now, with his arms wrapped firmly around the small body of his lover, Steve felt as if he could finally breathe after months of anguish. The warmth, though faint, was so familiar 

Yes, there had been the whole incident regarding the Accords and everything that followed, but not a day had gone by where his heart had not yearned for the man. 

“I lost her, I lost Pepper...”

“We all lost, Tony…”

Steve gently wrapped his arm around Tony’s waist and assisted him towards the compound. It wasn’t a hard task, not simply with the super-soldier serum, but also because Tony must have lost almost half of his body weight in the almost month-long period that he’d been gone. The even greater difference in size between the two of them only fuelled Steve’s already overactive protective urges. He covered as much of Tony’s body with his own, serving as somewhat of a shield between him and the rest of the world. Rhodey ran up to the two of them though and supported Tony on the other side.

Steve really thought he’d lost Tony, for real. No word from the man after disappearing into space with Pepper, chasing after Thanos; it looked like he was well and truly done for. But then, Carol had shown up, with powers and abilities well beyond anything he’d seen on earth, and she’d given him hope. Hope that they could get him back, or at least to find out where he’d ended up. There was still no guarantee at that point that he’d survived his trip to space, let alone been in the 50 per cent that remained after Thanos. 

Except now, here he was. Back by Steve’s side, where he should be. Despite all the loss they’d all suffered, and all the hurt and anger, he found a small part of himself singing with happiness. He’d been struggling after getting back to the US after the fight in Wakanda. Not only was he emotionally exhausted, but he’d also spent two years on the run, and suddenly the world was relying on him again. The pressure had built up, and he’d begun to falter, having a hard time getting out of bed each morning and getting the energy to leave the compound. He’d managed to shave what Rocket had dubbed his ‘depression beard’ though, so he guessed that was a plus.

* * *

It had been just over two hours since they’d brought Tony back when Rhodey thought they should inform him of what had been going on. It seemed obvious that Tony was aware that something had happened, but the extent to which would be hard to imagine even for a genius. 

The man was now slumped over in a wheelchair and hooked up to an IV bag that was slowly giving him nutrients. Bruce had patched him up quietly, although most of the worst injuries had already healed. The malnutrition was the most concerning and Bruce had already expressed his concern over it more than once. Though it looked like they were in the clear, it would be hard to tell for a couple more days. 

Steve raked his eyes over Tony as the man took in the images that kept flashing up on the heads-up display. They were pictures of those missing, presumed vanished. Steve felt his concern grow but refrained himself from approaching. Earlier, once they’d managed to get Tony inside, he had almost immediately detached himself from Steve and didn’t seem to be too keen on them being close. Steve probably would have dwelt on that for a while longer if it wasn’t for the more pressing issues at hand. Tony’s face had hardened significantly as a photograph of Pepper appeared before him. 

“We’ve been looking for Thanos ever since he, well…since we lost. We’ve been running facial recognition and surveillance, but nothing has come up.” Steve began to try and give the team direction, so they could try and decide how best to approach their situation. It was generally accepted that they needed to get the gauntlet and stones off Thanos, but the question of how they’d bring everyone back remained. It felt weird, being forced back into his old role, but he knew that they needed some prodding and support before they’d be able to do anything remotely helpful. “Tony, you fought with him, did he give you anything? Any kind of location or coordinates that may help?”

“I _fought_ Thanos? No. Thanos threw a planet at me and then was _given_ the stone by Strange, before proceeding to murder almost everyone else that was with me. Not exactly a fight, huh? Even with Pepper and the rest of them, we hardly managed a scratch on him.”

Steve sighed at the distant expression that began to cloud over Tony’s face. He didn’t like him thinking back to that moment too much, blaming himself and reliving the loss of one of his best friends. 

“We need you to focus, Tony, please.”

The set of cold eyes travelled over to him. They didn’t light up with their normal spark as he let his eyes roam over Steve’s body, instead remaining dull and pained. 

“And I _needed_ you. As in past tense. That trumps what you need now. It’s too late. I said we’d lose, and you said we’d do that together. Well, guess what, we lost. And I was alone. You weren’t there.” Tony had gotten up during his speech, much to the frustration of almost everyone in the room. The gown that he’d changed into only made the weight loss look even worse, his sharp bones obvious under the thin material. His eyes were glassy as he continued to glare at Steve.

“I’m here now.”

“Are you, though? Because I’ve heard that before, and I’m not overly keen to be lied to again.”

“Tony, I think this is a conversation for another time…you need to sit back down.” Tony rolled his shoulders back angrily at being told what to do. “Were there any clues at all that you could give us? Anything to help?”

Tony scoffed and began to claw at the bandage on his arm. Once successful in getting it off, he hastily yanked out the needle that had been secured underneath it. “Anything I can give you? Nope, nada, zip. I have nothing for you, Steve. No location, no clues, no trust. You’re a liar.”

Tony grew more and more agitated as he continued to shout at Steve. His words were punctuated by the angry steps he took, closing the distance between the two of them. 

“You destroyed everything that we had,” Tony spat at him. “It’s gone, all of it. So if you want to go on this little mission of yours, then fine. But I’m not helping you. You take this-” Tony ripped the arc reactor of his chest before shoving it into Steve’s hands. “-and you hide. But I’m done here-” 

Tony’s sentence was cut off by the sound his knees made against the hard floor as he fell down. Steve, along with Rhodey and Bruce, instinctively reached out for him. Tony was quick to shake off Steve’s touch and try to stand back up.

“Tony! You need to rest.”

“I’m fine. Just let me-”

Tony fell back from his kneeling position, his body going limp under the stress of the moment. Hearing Bruce calling out worriedly again had Steve collecting him into his arms and rushing him over to one of the medical rooms.

* * *

They returned from space dejected and hopeless, their only chance at undoing the snap unsuccessful. Steve remembers the journey there, the anticipation and hope that maybe, just maybe they might be able to pull this off. The tip-off from Nebula had been more than helpful in tracking him down – but they were too late. The stones were gone and with them any prospect of bringing everyone back. He tried to take comfort in the fact that Thanos was dead now. That even though they’d ultimately failed, there was at least one aspect where they’d succeeded. It didn’t help much.

What was helping, however, was the sight of Tony upon their return. Even though he had obviously not yet forgiven Steve for everything that had happened between them, and even though he was in an induced coma after passing out, there was still a small flicker of joy he felt upon seeing his small form. He couldn’t make things right by bringing everyone back, but he’d try his damn hardest to make things right with Tony.

Approaching the bedside cautiously, Steve sighed at the sight of Tony’s still shut eyes. It had been less than a day, in whole, since they’d left, so it wasn’t exactly unexpected, but it did delay his plan a little bit. Without thinking too much about it, Steve sat himself in the small armchair beside the bed and laid his hand over Tony’s. A blanket still separated the two, with Tony far too at risk of catching a cold or pneumonia to not have one covering him, but Steve could feel the comforting warmth. For what felt like the first time in a month, and likely was, Steve felt a small smile adorn his face.

Yeah, he’d make things right.

* * *

“Tony, I’m sorry, for everything. I know you put your trust and faith in me, and I let you down. We didn’t see eye-to-eye on something, and instead of trying to solve things peacefully, I got hot-headed and rushed into things. I think I just needed to take a step back and see the wider picture. You’re a hero, Earth’s greatest defender, and you deserve better than that.”

Tony was silent at his words, a thoughtful look coming over his face. The hurt was still clear in his eyes, but Steve knew that it would take more than a few words to erase that. 

“Do you love him…Bucky?”

Steve searched his face, understanding the hidden meaning behind the question. He’d briefly thought that maybe Tony had felt this way, knowing his insecurities and need for assurance. This was, in part, due to his upbringing and subsequent ordeal culminating in his creation of Iron Man, but Steve knew that he played a role too. After all, he did abandon him in Siberia, left him all alone, after hiding the fact that he knew his parents had been murdered, and he did – although it was mutual – try to physically hurt him at the airport. 

“I always will…” Steve cringed at the devastation on Tony’s face. “But not like that, Tony. He was my best friend, my brother. You were the only one, _are_ the only one. You’re not replaceable.”

“Didn’t feel that way.”

Steve leant over and cupped the back of Tony’s neck in his palm. “I know, I know I let you down, but I want to try this again. Properly. Just you and me.”

Tony’s eyes were watering now, but he looked like he was reigning himself in.

“I know it’s hard, the loss of everything. But we can move on, start a new life…together.”

* * *

**5 years later**

“Hey…come on, out of there. It’s dinner time, and your Papa is going to go all mother hen on us if we’re not ready.”

When no response came, Tony’s mind instantly went to all the mischievous and destructive scheming that his son could be getting up to. He probably got that from him, not that Steve wasn’t mischievous, but the destructive part…well. 

“Peter Stark-Rogers, what are you up to?” He asked in a sing-song voice. God, having a kid had really mellowed him out. That probably wasn’t a bad thing, though. With how close he’d been to total collapse five years ago, to the little family he’d been able to make for himself. Yeah, he’d never really seen himself as a self-sufficient (veggie patch, chickens and all), house-on-a-lake kinda guy, but here he was, happier than he’d been in such a long time. 

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a small hand thrusting its way out of the opening between the two tent flaps.

“I am Iron Man!”

Tony couldn’t stop the smile that quirked up on his lips at the announcement. 

The hand was followed by a familiar red and gold helmet, then the rest of his son’s small body. Though Iron-Man had been decommissioned years ago, he still tinkered and messed around in his make-do workshop. Pride swelled within him as he took in the familiar pose of his son – not his by birth though, no, that ship had long since sailed. Mainly, there the whole issue of having two men and trying to decide whose genes to keep (and hadn’t that been a conversation, trying to weigh the risk of pre-serum Steve and his ailments, the fear of having a super-soldier kid, and the dread of the kid maybe, somehow, inheriting his addictive tendencies, including the alcoholism). 

Instead, they’d looked at adoption. It hadn’t been all that hard in the end. Millions of children had lost their only relatives in the snap, left with no one to care for them. Peter’s story hadn’t been exactly like that, with his parents dying after a suddenly pilot-less airplane had crashed into a field somewhere over Virginia. Tony knew that Steve had been reluctant to adopt a kid whose parents had been dusted, for lack of a better word, at the risk of them coming back. Despite all his talk about moving on, and forging a new world, he was awfully caught up in the old some days. Tony didn’t have that problem, acknowledging that five years after the whole Thanos and no sign of change meant that everything was pretty permanent.

But here they were, with the cutest little five-year-old kid around. Peter had successfully stolen both of their hearts, and despite his acceptance of the ordeal five years ago, Tony did feel some degree of comfort that there would be absolutely no way for someone to take him away from them. 

“Hey, where’d you get that, you little rascal?” He reached forward and gently pulled the mask of his son’s head. The helmet was huge on him but still managed to mess up his hair, leaving his curls sticking out everywhere.

“The garage,” Peter responded as if it was obvious. Well, yes, he probably had gotten it out of the garage, but Tony had long since stopped leaving anything remotely valuable or dangerous in plain sight, or within reaching distance of his overly curious child.

“Mmmm, were you looking for it?” He asked playfully, cocking his head. The sheepish look he got in response answered that question quickly enough.

Although neither he nor Steve donned their suits and went around saving the world anymore (not that there was much they could do after failing so hard the last time), they told their son endless stories about the heroics of the Avengers, and all the times they had assembled in the past. The stories were all diluted, of course, romanticised versions that skipped over all the pain and heartache in between – it was fair to say that the name ‘Bucky’ had never been uttered in front of Peter. Peter loved them anyway, probably more so than he would’ve if he’d been told the full recounts, and would often run around pretending to be one ‘hero’ or another. 

“You like rummaging around in the garage, huh? Well…so does your Daddy,” he murmured fondly as he pulled Peter into his arms tightly. The ridiculously small chair that he’d perched himself on creaked dangerously, forcing Tony up, onto his feet, his child still wrapped up protectively in his hold. “I guess we’re both a pair of trouble-makers then.”

“Black Widow!” His son gasped loudly. 

“Hey, I thought you were Iron Man? Can’t go changing on me now, kid.”

Peter giggled softly, causing Tony’s heart to swell. “No, Daddy. Look, it’s Black Widow!”

Tony’s tensed up as his son pointed over his left shoulder. The sound of a car door thudding shut seemed to confirm what his son had said, without him having to turn around. Finally, moving to face his new guests, Tony was near overwhelmed by emotions. 

It had been five years since he’d had any direct contact with any of the other Avengers, save for Steve and Rhodey. The memories of their failures, both before and after Thanos were still fresh for him. The desire on Nat’s behalf to continue to operate as a hero team, to help others out and maintain a sense of order was too much. All it did was remind Tony of what he’d done wrong, of how he’d come face-to-face with the titan, and come away alive, whilst others weren’t so lucky. No, he hadn’t been able to stick around, to dwell in that past and pretend that things weren’t his fault. Steve’s offer had been too perfect to refuse. 

Nat had understood that, as had the rest of the team. He wasn’t the only to leave after they’d found Thanos. Steve had come with him, obviously, but he also knew that Thor had disappeared and Bruce too – though he’d seen enough of him on the news and social media to know that he was doing OK, or at least as OK as a man who had somehow found himself as neither Bruce, nor Hulk, but somewhere in between. Barton hadn’t been heard from either, since the whole Accords mess really, but Tony had his own suspicions about that. So really, Nat was the only original Avenger left, but she’d been receiving help from new Allies, and remained based out of the compound. He was well aware that she wouldn’t have come all the way out here unless it was desperate. 

He didn’t acknowledge them much as he made his way back towards the house. He noticed that they seemed rather unphased by Peter, but he figured that probably had more to do with Rhodey filling them in, than them doing their own research. He made his way up the steps of the porch, before finally making eye-contact with Natasha. He gave her a small nod, an invitation, before turning back around. 

He brought Peter close to eye level, before whispering in his ear. “Hey, Pete. Why don’t you go tell your Papa about our new guests?”

* * *

Tony poured out four glasses of the smoothie he’d set out earlier in the day. Natasha hadn’t come alone, with Rhodey and Scott Lang in tow. He wasn’t quite sure whether he should ignore the spark of happiness he felt at having some of the team together again. It was somewhat lonely living the reclusive life he did now. The only people he had real conversations with were Steve, Rhodey, Peter and Happy. 

He brought his mind back to the present, and to the plan that he’d been proposed. It was crazy, really. The idea that they could travel through time, that they could go back and collect the stones before Thanos could get his hands on them. Something straight out of a fantasy novel.

“That won’t work. You know that, I know that. The most likely outcome will be our collective demise.”

“It does work. _I_ have successfully been in and out.” Scott pleaded.

“No, you accidentally survived.”

“As long as we followed the rules of time travel, then we’d be able to go there and back, and everything would be OK.”

“The _rules_ of time travel?”

“Yeah…y’know, no talking to our past selves, no betting on sports events…”

Tony couldn’t help his eye roll. “Are you telling me that your plan is based on ‘Back to the Future’?”

Scott hesitated. “No…”

“Good, because you had me worried there.”

Tony knew that Nat was desperate. He knew that she felt immense guilt over everyone having lost someone close, yet she had managed to keep those near to her. There was the whole Barton issue, yes, but in terms of Thanos and everything, she’d come out alright. Really, that’s what drove her today. And so, here comes Scott who had apparently just spent 5 years (but actually like 5 hours?) in a _time machine_ , and thought he was on the way to inventing time travel. The science behind it seemed legitimate enough, but the issues they encountered over safe navigation and locating the stones were enough to turn him away.

He ran his eyes over her, taking in the appearance of natural red roots, which were way more _Nat_ than the blonde would ever be. She looked tired though, with bags under her eyes and her face slightly gaunt. Not the same put-together Natasha from five years ago, that’s for sure. 

She must’ve felt his stare because only moments later she turned her sympathetic gaze on him. 

“Tony, I know you’ve got a new life now, but we have to take a stand.”

“We already did. And we lost. So without a safe, reliable, certain way for us to navigate this ‘quantum realm’, I can’t help you.”

“I know you’ve got a husband now,” Scott’s eyes drifted over his ring, “and a son, but I lost someone really important to me. A lot of people did. You can help bring them back.”

Not wanting to have to repeat himself, Tony almost cried in relief at the sight of Peter running out of the front door. He launched himself at Tony, grinning widely as he was scooped up and plonked onto his lap.

“Papa sent me to come and save you,” Peter mumbled into his shoulder.

“I am saved,” he responded, pressing his cheeks into his son’s curls.

Steve chose that moment to come and join them, frowning a little at the scene before him. His eyes were lingering on Scott, which was understandable since he was believed to have died along with everyone else after Thanos. 

“Steve, hey,” Natasha smiled at the sight of her friend. She skipped up to him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Much like Tony, Steve hadn’t kept in touch with the Avengers since they’d left five years ago. Tony knew it was to do with his guilt surrounding the fight in Wakanda, and their subsequent journey to space. As much as Tony tried to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, Steve wouldn’t hear it. He’d turn the words on Tony before they’d both settle into a silent understanding that it was something that would no longer be discussed. 

Even their wedding hadn’t involved many people. They’d extended the invitation, of course, to Nat, Bruce, Thor, and to Clint’s farmhouse. They’d all not shown up, Nat at a UN convention, Bruce still in his gamma lab, and Thor not being able to bring himself to leave his new settlement in Norway. They hadn’t taken it personally, of course. If anything, it made the whole affair less awkward, and now they were both able to look back on it with nothing but fond memories. Rhodey had been there, and Happy too. Peter, with all of his two years, had been in attendance, but no one else. The registrar had wed them by the lake, and there was really no need for the honeymoon with how they lived. 

“Scott, hey. How are you here?” Steve asked as he pulled back from the hug. 

Tony tuned out a bit as Rhodey tried to explain the plan to Steve. Instead, he focused on the emotions running over his husband’s face. First, there was confusion, lots of it. The whole idea of time travel and quantum physics was a lot to wrap your head around, particularly when you didn’t have any background in either subject. This was quickly replaced by hope though. Hearing that Scott had been there, and made it out in one piece, was enough to kick-start that emotion. Tony’s heart yearned at that, knowing the danger that hope had given Steve in the past. Some part of Steve must have registered this too because the hope transitioned to resignation as soon as they laid out the flaws in the plan. 

Steve met his eyes from where he stood, the two of them having a silent conversation. It seemed they were on the same page, really. They’d gained so much and the two of them were as close to their happily ever after that they were going to get. They couldn’t afford to risk what they had left, to risk Peter, on a whim. 

“Steve, Tony, this is a second chance.”

Steve walked over to Tony and stood beside him. He placed his hand firmly on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

“We’ve got our second chance, right here. We can’t roll the dice on it.”

The same look of resignation that Steve had given was replicated on the faces of Rhodey, Nat and Scott at those words. 

“We’re sorry, guys. But hey, the table is set for six, so if you wanna stay, you’re more than welcome. We’re truly happy to see you. Just no talking shop.”

Tony was grateful that Steve was doing the talking. He was too caught up in the fear of losing Steve and Peter. The hand on his shoulder moved up and down in a comforting rub, seeming to sense his growing panic. 

“This might be our last chance. You know where we’ll be.”


	2. Chapter Two

Tony sat at the dinner table that night, trying to forget about the events of the day. As nice as it had been to see the team again, he hated the doubt that they’d left him with. He was happy, truly happy here with Steve and Peter. They were away from all the chaos that plagued the cities, they’d been able to bond and were slowly moving on from Thanos. But now, a tiny part of his mind was questioning whether his happiness outweighed, potentially, that of literally the rest of the world – universe even. He’d been selfish, so selfish, throughout his whole life and now he had the chance to take a leap and help the team out. At this stage, that part of his mind was quiet enough to ignore, and Tony really wanted to keep it that way. 

He turned his attention back to the pasta in front of him, smiling slightly. Seeing Steve so domesticated had been weird, at first, but now it just felt right. He’d disclosed to Tony, shortly after they’d adopted Peter, that he’d secretly been wanting this life for a long while now. He had wanted kids so bad, wanted to settle and slow things down. It kind of harked back to the life he had planned for himself in the 40’s, and Tony was immensely happy that he could give him anything close to what he wanted. 

So, Steve had really thrown himself into becoming a family man. His cooking had come a long way in the past five years. At first, they’d been surviving off microwaved meals, and sandwiches, which they’d still somehow managed to mess up. It had quickly been decided that, despite his technical expertise, Tony should steer clear of the kitchen when it came to cooking. It tended to be him that threw Steve off, with inventive ways of speeding up cooking or preparation processes. Once he’d finally wrangled control in the kitchen, Steve had been able to flourish. It had been a slow progression, but gradually he’d been branching out, trying new things. It wasn’t uncommon for him to sit down for an afternoon and flick through a cookbook, or for Tony to catch him trying to copy a cooking program that he’d recorded for himself. It was endearing, really, and the food was amazing. Tonight, Steve had gone for a pesto, chorizo and tomato dish that Tony had mentioned he’d loved the first time he’d tried it. 

He turned his gaze over to his husband, who seemed far away, lost in his own thoughts. Judging by the furrow of his brows and the slight downturn of his lips, he was probably thinking back to the day’s event as well. He was eating absentmindedly, but mainly just pushing the spaghetti around in his bowl and looking into the distance. Tony frowned at the sight, knowing just how torn up about failing Steve had been. Whilst both of them had their problems, it was common during the first two years away for Steve to wake up screaming out for one of the Avengers they’d lost, or zoning out for long periods of time, with Tony unable to bring him back. Together, though, they’d worked through that. They’d been able to overcome the worst of the PTSD, and Peter was a large part of that. 

The kid had really brought them out of their funk when they’d found him eight months after relocating. Originally, they were just going to get a dog – a golden retriever. Steve had remembered Sam telling him about how it was common now for returned soldiers to get an emotional support animal, and that they could be immensely helpful by providing comfort and companionship. They’d been close to grabbing one, but then Steve had had a particularly bad episode and they’d decided that having someone that was relying entirely on them would force them to regain some degree of normalcy. And that’s how they’d found Peter.

He’d been almost a year old by the time they’d adopted him. Tony had gotten Happy to look into several orphanages to try and find the right kid. Normally Pepper would have done that, but Happy had managed well enough. It had taken some time to choose the right one, almost four months into their search. Peter had been in a small orphanage in Queens, where he’d been constantly overlooked due to his smaller size. He was outgrowing that now, but they’d been very cautious in the first few years. Tony thought that it might have actually been part of the reason why Peter was so perfect for them. Steve saw something of himself in the baby, enough to bring out his protective side. Once they’d found Peter it had been an incredibly quick process of bringing him home. The adoption processes had been simplified greatly to try and encourage families to adopt new children since there was such an abundance now. 

Although he’d been a shy baby, Peter had really come into his own now. He was an absolute bundle of energy that never seemed to run out, and he was so smart – on par with what Tony was at his age. That was a danger at times, with his never-ending curiosity leading to several almost-catastrophic accidents. They’d gotten through it though, the three of them. 

Taking his gaze from Steve, and over to Peter, he felt his frown instantly evaporate. Peter was awkwardly seated in his chair – one that Tony had made a little bit higher than the others so that he could reach the table properly. He was stabbing clumsily at the strings of spaghetti in his plastic bowl, a look of serious concentration on his face. The expression involved his tongue poking slightly out of the corner of his mouth. As pieces continued to fall off his fork, he growled angrily, his stabbing becoming more insistent. His cheeks had smatterings of the tomato sauce, as did the front of his shirt. Maybe they’d have to bring the bibs back for the messier foods. 

Tony took pity on his son, who seemed to be growing more and more upset as he continued to struggle to pick up the pasta. “Hey, Pete, let me.”

He reached over to grab the fork from Peter, as well as the knife and spoon that were tucked under his own bowl. Peter snatched his hand back though, causing more sauce to go flying, this time landing across the table. “No!”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Steve come out of his trance, his eyes widening a little at the sudden shout. His eyes drifted over to the two of them, his expression softening fondly at the scene. 

“Peter, you’re making a mess. Let me help you out.”

Peter still struggled as Tony reached over, but eventually let go of the fork that they were warring over. Tony awkwardly cut up the pasta into more manageable sizes for a child, before handing over the spoon. Although pouting, Peter accepted the utensil and resumed his eating. He smiled as he was able to pick some of the meal up and bring it to his mouth. “Thank you, daddy.”

Tony grinned at him and placed a kiss on his forehead before moving back into his seat. He looked back over at Steve who was just smiling at the two of them. 

“Maybe we should stick to the penne next time, babe.”

* * *

Steve and Tony left the mess at the table in order to bring Peter upstairs for his bath. The unexpected visit from the team had pushed back their schedule and Peter was struggling too much for only one of them to be able to keep an eye on him. It was also just an excuse for the two of them to spend more time with their son after an especially hard day. They needed moments like these to remind them of what they still had, and what they had gained through all the loss. 

After an overly excited bath time, that ended with Tony soaked from head to toe – yet somehow Steve had managed to avoid all of the splashing – they’d finally managed to produce a clean Peter. They’d come to the agreement that Steve would put him to bed, whilst Tony now had to have another shower. He made his way slowly over to the master bedroom but paused at the soft sound of Steve’s voice echoing from the room to his left. Peering quietly through the open door, he took in the sight of Steve sitting at the foot of their son’s bed, running his hand through Peter’s hair. 

“…and then, just as your Papa was about to be squashed by the big bad robot, your Daddy flew in and blasted it all the way to the other side of the street-” 

“-Daddy saved you?” Peter asked in his childlike wonder. 

“In more ways than one, Peter. Your Daddy has always been there to save me.”

Tony’s eyes watered at the sight of Steve being so gentle and soft with Peter. His eyes drifted down to the thin gold band that was wrapped snuggly around his finger. They kept them simple, as they did most things in their life now, but it carried so much in its meaning. Love, obviously, but also the whole story of their relationship – their pain, their loss, their forgiveness. 

As much as he would have loved to stand there for hours just watching the two of them interact, he didn’t want to intrude on the moment. Both him and Steve would often divulge things to Peter that they wouldn’t to each other, knowing their child wouldn’t judge or second-guess their admissions. It would be unfair for him to listen in on those sorts of things. He pulled out of the doorway, becoming aware, once more, of the cold sensations running through his body from his soaked clothing. Yeah, he should probably have that shower.

* * *

Tony quietly crept back down the stairs after his shower. It was still only early evening, but he didn’t want to risk waking Peter up after he’d finally gotten to sleep. He didn’t think Steve would be too happy about that if it happened either. 

He peeked around the corner into the living room, catching sight of his husband hunched over on the sofa. Tony sighed softly, knowing that it was just one of those days. They’d been doing so well lately, with no major slip-ups in the past month or so.

Slowly, but quietly, Tony approached Steve from behind. He showed no sign of realising that he wasn’t alone, meaning he was probably off in one of his trances again. It was only once he got right behind him, that Tony realised he was holding something in his hands. Leaning over slightly, Tony chewed on his lip nervously as he recognised the photograph.

It was a small, black and white photo that was severely wrinkled, but the subject was unmistakable. The youthful gaze of one James Buchanan Barnes met the camera, a small smile playing on his lips. A feeling of guilt swelled in Tony’s stomach as he noticed the pained expression on Steve’s face. Although they’d agreed not to talk about him, Tony knew that Steve often thought about his best friend and how he’d lost him so suddenly after he’d finally managed to get him back.

It had taken some time, but Tony was finally starting to reconcile with the memories he had of the man, separating Steve’s best friend from HYDRA’s assassin. It wasn’t easy by any means, thinking about the man who had murdered his parents, but the more time he was given, the more Tony thought that he’d be able to accept it and move on. It seemed like that was really what his life was about nowadays – accepting and moving on. 

Tony was well aware of the remorse that plagued Steve at the thought of his best friend, and no doubt the visit today was only amplifying that. He wanted to reach out, to comfort his husband, but he knew that the subject was sensitive, and Steve probably needed the alone time. Closing his eyes sadly, Tony turned away and headed into the kitchen to clean up. 

It was part of their living arrangements, that Steve would cook, and Tony would clean up. Sometimes Steve would help out, but Tony tried to get him to relax at night as much as possible. They’d forgone a dishwasher, and so all the washing up had to be done by hand. Normally that wasn’t too hard of a task, with only the three of them. But tonight, he was obviously distracted. Several times already, he’d almost let go of the kitchen hose tap. All it took was thinking back to Steve in the other room, though, before it went flying out of his hands. It waved around wildly for a second before Tony was able to turn it off, spraying around the sink and over the shelves in the corner. 

Tony sighed half in frustration, half in exhaustion. It had been a long enough day already. Distractedly, he reached over and grabbed the nearest tea-towel before wiping up the water. He’d just finished up around the sink and had moved over to the shelves when one of the frames caught his eye. It was purposefully hidden, tucked behind a photo of his father, but it was hard to ignore once he’d spotted it. 

In the photo, Pepper smiled gently, looking up from the contract she was signing on her new desk. It was from the day he’d handed over the company, and they were just finalising the paperwork. It was one of his favourite photos, with the pride and determination showing on her face. It had just been them and Happy when he’d snapped the photo before they’d gone out to announce the move to the press. He reached over and plucked it out from its position, wiping it over with the towel. 

He couldn’t ignore the ache in his chest that the photo ignited, nor the sudden inspiration he felt.

* * *

Tony paced around his lab as FRIDAY put together the model he’d instructed. There was a small part of him that hoped it didn’t work, that it was all really just a pipe-dream. That he could stay where he was, with the family he loved and not have to risk losing them. The other, larger, part of him hoped for the opposite. He owed it to everyone who had lost, to at least try to make things right. Thinking of Pepper, and Bucky and the rest of the team, Tony knew this was the best chance they had at rectifying things.

The beeping from his holographic model drew him out of his thoughts, his gaze taking in the inverted Mobius strip. Not really expecting much in the way of results, he couldn’t stop the gasp at the flashing ‘model successful’ that had popped up. He fell back into his chair, the weight of what he’d discovered finally sinking in.

He rubbed his hand over his face before throwing his arms out. “Shit!”

“Shit!” A little voice giggled out from behind him.

He spun around quickly, stunned by the small figure of his son sitting on the bottom step.

“Hey! What are you doing up Mister?”

Peter gave him a mischievous smile. “Shit.”

“Shhhh! You can’t say that word. Your Papa will kill me if he knows you heard me say that.”

Peter didn’t look very remorseful, or much like he would keep their little secret. “What are you doing?” He asked, looking at the hologram hovering in the air before them. Tony knew he wouldn’t have a clue what it meant, but his eyes widened excitedly none the less.

“I had some important shit to do! No, but seriously I just had something on my mind.” He responded, playfully. 

Peter let out another giggle, before giving him a faux stern look. He couldn’t hold the expression though before another naughty smile appeared on his face. “Was it juice pops?”

Tony’s jaw dropped at his son’s question, wondering just when he learnt to be so manipulative. “That’s extortion. There’s a word for you.” He stood up and walked over to his son, looking back over his shoulder a few times, at the model. “Juice pops, huh? Yeah, that’s exactly what was on my mind.” He reached out his hand for Peter to take. His son jumped up happily, grabbing the hand and dragging Tony to the kitchen. “What flavour do you want Squirt?”

* * *

Tony smiled at his son, who was lying down in bed, a satisfied look on his face. Tony held the remnants of the orange flavoured ice block that Peter had chosen. He hadn’t eaten much of it, leaving the majority to Tony.

“You finished?” He didn’t wait for Peter to respond before finishing off the lolly in one bite. “Now you are.”

Peter just smiled up at him. Tony’s eyes caught the small drops of the melted treat staining the corner of his mouth. He pulled his sleeve over his thumb and reached out to wipe it off. Peter pushed his hand away at the motion, but there wasn’t much effort behind it. 

“Tell me a story.”

“Didn’t your Papa already tell you one tonight?”

“No…” Peter smiled cheekily.

“Once upon a time, there was a good boy name Peter who went to bed when he was told. The end.”

Peter sighed dramatically. “That was the worst story, ever. Papa’s was _way_ better.” He pouted when Tony didn’t seem to be taking his bait. As if he could resist those eyes.

Tony paused for a moment, trying to decide whether it was appropriate to bring this up. “Has your Papa ever told you about his best friend, Bucky?”

Peter’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar name, excitement pulling him out of his drowsy state of mind. He sat up against the bedhead. “No!” Peter quickly shrunk back at the look on Tony’s face at his shouting. Although it still wasn’t that late, Steve wouldn’t be all that happy to know that Tony was letting Peter be up this late. “I thought Falcon was his bestest friend,” Peter spoke again, this time in an exaggerated whisper.

Tony smiled fondly as he remembered that Bucky was such a large part of Steve’s past and his identity. It wasn’t fair to him that Tony ignored that and refused to let their son know about the man that had looked out for his Papa for so long. 

“Well, how about I tell you a story about how he sacrificed himself to help your Papa take down the bad guys? Like a true hero.”

Peter nodded emphatically. So, Tony proceeded to tell him about the Howling Commandos, and their heroic adventure through Italy to capture Zola. He gave plenty of background too. He spoke about how Bucky would jump in to save Steve when he was getting beaten up by some bully in a back alley. He slipped in a couple of anecdotes about Steve’s endless bouts of illness throughout childhood, too, and how Bucky had been the one to nurse him back to health – or at least back to the closest he could get to health. It all ended with the fight on the train, and the very vague description of Bucky being thrown off the mountain. 

“Wow…that’s awesome!” Tony probably should have been concerned by the fact that his son found a story about someone falling to their death ‘awesome’, but Peter loved a good hero story. “Can you tell me another story about Bucky, please Daddy?” He begged. 

“Maybe another night, Peter. It’s getting late.”

“But I’m not tired.”

“Mmm, well your daddy is. Go to sleep Peter. I love you.” He stood up slowly, gently pushing Peter’s head back against his pillow. 

“I love you three-thousand.”

Tony almost melted on the spot, unable to take the utter devotion that his son so freely gave him. His adoring gaze on Tony, looking at him as if he had hung the moon and the stars. Not for the first time today, he felt he might cry, overwhelmed by the love he was experiencing. 

“Wow...”

He reached over to flick off the lamp, not taking his eyes off Peter. He paused in the doorway, almost needing to pinch himself to remember that this was real, that he really was this lucky.

_“Three-thousand..._ that’s crazy...” 

Peter gave him the cutest smile, half of his face hidden by his blanket. 

“Go to sleep, or I’ll sell all of your toys.”

Tony heard the quiet giggle of his son before he exited the room and pulled the door closed quietly behind him.

* * *

Steve was sitting quietly in his small art studio. It was actually just the attic that had been stripped and converted, giving Steve his own little space in the house. They’d replaced the roofing with large windows, allowing streams of light to pour into the room all day long. At night time, it gave an amazing view of the stars above. Although Steve constantly tried to stop him, Peter could often be found trying to sneak up here at night to catch a glimpse of them. 

As much as it was his own space, he’d made it clear that Tony would always be welcome. It was a similar story with the garage and the make-do lab that were on the bottom level of the house too. They realised that they needed to stop shutting each other out, so there was always an open invitation for either of them to go where they needed. 

“Not that it’s a competition, but Peter loves me three-thousand. The last time I checked; you were somewhere in the low six-to-nine-hundreds range.”

Steve looked up at him, rolling his eyes. “Oh, really?”

“Watcha up to?”

“Just looking up a new recipe to try out tomorrow.”

“Mmm..and what were you thinking of?”

Steve opened his mouth to respond, but Tony cut him off.

“I figured it out by the way.”

Steve squinted at him, not quite following what he was saying. “…and just so we’re on the same page…what did you figure out?”

“Time travel.”

Steve lowered his book and widened his eyes at Tony’s admission. 

“That’s amazing…and terrifying.”

Tony knew what he meant. They both knew how important it would be, if they had any chance at success, to offer their services. But the potential implications were cause for their hesitance. 

“I can stop,” Tony started, half hoping Steve would force him to do so. “I can put a pin in it, right now.”

Steve stayed silent, thoughtful.

“I mean…we can’t help everyone, right?”

“It kind of seems like we can…”

Tony sighed, knowing where this was going. “Part of me wants to lock it in a chest and throw it to the bottom of the lake. To just go to bed and move on.”

Steve’s smiled at him sadly, with a small touch of pity. “But would you be able to rest?”

They both knew the answer to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super fast update. But, I probably won't have another one for a little while because I have lots of study to do - study that I've been putting off to write fanfiction, so...


End file.
